Ontario Advocacy and Updates - July 2021
by Christine Wingate and Missy McLean
The Ontario Advocacy private Facebook Group for MSTH members was launched in March 2021 and currently has 36 members. As Ontario is a diverse province with communities spread all over, the purpose of this group is to better facilitate conversations around advocacy across all our regions. It is a platform to share information, events and resources, and to discuss advocacy strategies to ensure that our collective voices are heard and to effect positive change in Ontario to end substance use related stigma, harms and death.
Here are some of the advocacy initiatives that our Ontario members are currently working on:
Angela Vos (Tiny, Ontario) has written to the Mayors of Midland and Tiny seeking their support for IOAD 2021. She has also sent letters to Dairy Queen, Dunkin’ Donuts, Popeyes chicken asking them to adopt lavender as a flavor for IOAD.
Andrea Keller (Kingston, Ontario) has written to the Mayor seeking his support for IOAD 2021 and his endorsement to establish a butterfly memorial garden to remember those lost to the overdose crisis. Andrea has co-written an article (with a mom who has a son in recovery) for the Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences journal. She sits on the Kingston Community Drug Strategy Board and is also on a sub-committee looking for better collaboration of a continuum of care between the hospital and community services for patients admitted with substance use. She is also working on developing education sessions for front line workers to decrease the stigma associated with Mental Health and substance use. She has been advocating with senior leadership to establish an Addictions Task Force at the Kingston Hospital.
Christine Inrig (Port Credit, Ontario) has organized an IOAD 2021 event for Port Credit, a zoom meeting is planned with the BIA to help acknowledge IOAD. To date a local Councillor, an MPP will be attending the August event. Christine also sits on the MSTH fundraising committee. She has initiated contact with a crisis worker at the Trillium Hospital to discuss the lack of continuum of care for those released from hospital after overdose/toxic poisoning.
Katherine Steinhoff (Ottawa, Ontario) continues to work tirelessly on the petition and municipal resolutions campaign. So far15 petitions have been presented in the House of Commons and one in the Senate In addition, 52 municipalities have approved either all of or part of our Resolution. The municipal resolution has also resulted in at least 27 articles in online newspapers and numerous tweets and 52 memes for Facebook and Instagram.
Kathy Moreland (Waterloo, Ontario) and Mathew McGuigan (Chatham Kent) are members of one of the largest lobbying groups in the province of Ontario, the RNAO recently passed a resolution with 98% in agreement to formally address the substance use crisis in the province. Kathy and Mathew presented their own resolutions to address the ongoing crisis.
Mathew McGuigan (Chatham Kent, Ontario) sits on the Community of practice group. The purpose of the group is to discuss and share information among community practitioners, advocates and PWUD on safer supply and how it fits along the continuum of care for people who use drugs. Mathew was involved in preparing a Municipal resolution that was to be presented before council.
Irene Reilly Paterson (Toronto, Ontario) was instrumental in having MSTH resolution included in the Toronto Overdose Action Plan. She has contacted Mayor John Tory for the lowering of the flag ceremony and the reading of a proclamation for IOAD 2021. This is the 4th year the CN Tower will be lit up in purple.
Anna Maria Iredale (St Mary, Ontario) gathered many signatures for her MSTH Petition which was presented in the House by MP Charlie Angus on June 16th. Anna wrote a letter about her son Matthew journey. She has recently written to her mayor seeking his support for IOAD 2021 and to help raise awareness and address the ongoing crisis in her community.
Christine Weir Nayler (Barrie, Ontario) is working on an IOAD event and advocating with Council to adopt the MSTH resolution. She is continuing to advocate for the Safe Consumption Site; they are facing fierce opposition at the provincial level. Christine sits on the Harm Reduction Pillar of Simcoe Muskoka Opioid Strategy and was instrumental in adding safe supply as a prioritiy item for this year.
Jes Besharah (Brockville, Ontario) works in harm reduction at the local health unit and was instrumental in the launching of the Brockville Overdose Outreach Team (BOOT). She walks the paths and streets of her city with plenty of naloxone kits and other harm reduction supplies to give to people who need them. She has initiated many conversations in the hopes of putting an end to the stigma that surrounds drugs and substance users in her community. She also sits on the Municipal Drug Strategy committee.
